The Farr Side: Hard to fill George Jones’ shoes

To this day, when I hear the lyrics “He said I’ll love you til I die/She told him you’ll forget in time/I watched the years pass slowly by/She still preyed upon his mind,” I stop what I’m doing.

Bobby Braddock and Curly Putnam may have wrote those moving words, but George Jones forever tattooed them on our hearts. “He Stopped Loving Her Today” is one of the greatest songs of all time.

It has a newfound meaning now that “The Possum” has moved on. Singer George Jones passed away April 26 at age 81.

Jones goes on to sing, “They placed a wreath upon his door/Soon they’ll carry him away/He stopped loving her today...”

Jones is sure to have many wreaths placed upon his door, but music fans will never stop loving him. Jones was a country music legend, with hits spanning five decades, appearing on 168 charting singles, a legacy cemented in time.

Jones’ career began after completing his duties in the United States Marine Corp in the mid-1950’s. He recorded his first song, “No Money In This Deal,” in 1954, and reach the chart for the first time the next year, with “Why Baby Why.”

His first trip up the chart came at the same time Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash were making their first of many appearances, an awesome period in music history.

Jones’ first No. 1 was “White Lighting,” and he would reach the top 13 more times. But there was a dark side. His life was riddled with havoc, including drug and alcohol abuse, leading to missed performances and the “No Show Jones” label. He was a tabloid target, adding to his dismay. However, many of his friends, including Waylon Jennings and Johnny Cash, came to his aid to see him through. Ironically, he outlived them both.

“He Stopped Loving Her Today” was credited as the song that saved his career, and perhaps his life. Its monumental achievements earned him a CMA award for Song Of Year for both 1980 and 1981 — a feat yet unequalled. He also was named CMA and ACM Male Vocalist Of The Year those same years, as well as the Grammy for Best Male Country Vocalist.

I appreciated Jones’ traditional country sound most when I look back at his career. He never gave into the commercialization of the genre, something that has overtaken the country music business today.

His 1985 hit “Who’s Gonna Fill Their Shoes?” says it best, as Jones pays homage to all the true radio heroes. He eventually became one himself.

Let me answer that question for you, George, about who’s gonna fill your shoes? Many will try, few will come close, but only you could walk in them. RIP, Possum.

David T. Farr is a Journal Correspondent. Email him at farrboy@hotmail.com. You can also find The Farr Side on Facebook.